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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · bowl · hide · row · can · vault · foot · kid

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. vault — a safe
  6. kid — child
  7. can — a tin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. can — a tin
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. row — a line
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cell — a phone
  22. kid — to tease
  23. row — to paddle
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com